


Dancing in DC

by byrhthelm



Series: The Shyster and the Florida Girl [2]
Category: JAG
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-08
Updated: 2015-02-08
Packaged: 2018-03-11 03:25:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3312137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byrhthelm/pseuds/byrhthelm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following on from events in Pensacola...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dancing in DC

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Those of you who pay attention will notice that I have taken some liberties with the time line, particularly with the time of restoring Harm's wings. For the purpose of this story the murder of Lt Arutti and Harm's subsequent flight with the CAG hasn't yet occurred. This means that Kate Pike never met Harm in this AU and the investigation will be carried out by Harm and Meg.

Harm dropped his sea-bag and tossed his cover onto the side table, glad to be home. The investigation into the cause of Luke Pendry's fatal crash had been tough. It wasn't just that Luke was – or had been, he amended bitterly – a friend, but his family, Annie and young Josh, lived within sight and sound of the airfield at Miramar, and although he'd expected her to grieve, he hadn't expected her to be so... clingy... so needy... or so bitter against the Navy. And he certainly hadn't expected to experience the upsurge of feeling for her, the recurrence of the way he had felt about her before she and Luke had married. He had come very close to being very foolish at one point, and it was only the inadvertent and very timely interruption by Meg that had prevented what might have been an incredibly stupid move on both his and Annie's part.

And that was without even taking into consideration the attraction he had felt for Beth Hawkes down at Pensacola. The investigation into the wreckage of the F-14 had taken five days before the Air Accident Investigation Board had reached a decision. It had been a million to one chain of events that led to the crash. A blown fuse in one circuit and when the redundancy system had kicked in, a faulty actuator in the hydraulics had bled the system dry; there was no way on God's earth that any pilot, no matter how experienced, could have brought that jet into land with flaps and and landing gear both malfunctioning.

But the extra four nights had yielded four dates – all off-base – with Beth. And those dates had been highly pleasurable. He had found himself opening up to her to an extent that he hadn't opened up to anyone since Diane. He hadn't told her everything of course, some things were too dark to unload on anyone else; he'd made no mention of his 'adventure' in Viet Nam and Cambodia when he was sixteen, and of course no mention of Gym. Neither had he mentioned that he had been an aviator, or anything about his ramp strike or Mace's death. But he had told her all about growing up in California, about the loss of his dad, and about the hope that he still held on to that he was still alive somewhere.

In return, she had told him all about growing up in large family of mixed Turkish and Native American descent, which, she laughingly had claimed explained her permanent tan and her dark hair, and he had interjected, her wonderful deep brown eyes.

She had told him in mock-severe terms to shut up and listen. She was the first member of her family to join any of the forces in peace time, although eight of her uncles and her father had all served their one year in Viet Nam.

It was the casual mention of 'eight of her uncles' that had startled Harm, "Just how big is your family?"

"Well, I've got seven sisters and three brothers..."

"Your mom and dad had eleven kids?!" he had queried in disbelief.

Beth had shrugged, "Yeah, Mom was raised traditional Catholic... with all that it implies..."

"Oh, and you?" Harm had asked, not without some degree of trepidation.

"Hell no! I go to Mass when I can, and I try to make sure I keep my Easter observances, but there is no way I am going to let some celibate old guy who wears a skirt tell me what to do with my body! And if I go to hell for that, then so be it!"

Harm had nodded, "OK, but," he circled back to his original question, "You said eight of your uncles served?"

"Yeah, it was only Uncle Joe, Dad's youngest brother that missed the draft. He had TB and couldn't make the medical."

"He make it?" Harm asked.

"Oh yeah, he lives in Oklahoma and has a pretty loud voice in the tribal council!" Beth had chuckled, "Dad complains that he's gone native!"

Harm had searched his memory, "Oklahoma... tribal council... so that would make his people...?"

"Kiowa!" Beth had snapped, "His people and my people!" she had added defiantly.

"But you don't adhere to their culture and customs, though do you?" Harm had gently pointed out.

"No... no, I don't," Beth had agreed with a regretful sigh, "But that doesn't mean I'm not proud to identify with them!"

"So... the name Hawkes, where does that come from?"

"Oh... that was great grandpappy Thomas, way back in the day. His Ka'igwu – that is Kiowa – name translated into English as Hawk that Swoops, so when he adopted an English name and 'started wearing pants' he chose 'Hawkes' as being about the nearest he could to his own name."

"H'mmm... so you hold your heritage to blame for you being so feisty?" He had gently teased her.

Beth had frowned and then her face cleared, "Oh, you mean that idiot Harrington? No, nothing to do with being part Native American, and everything to do with being one of the smallest and youngest in a large family, where if you didn't fight for what was yours, you ended up with nothing!"

"You used to punch out your brothers and sisters?" Harm had asked, partly in shock and partly in amusement.

"No," Beth had giggled, "Well, not often... but I learned to stand up for myself at a pretty young age!"

Harm had nodded thoughtfully, before he and Beth had decided that mouths could be used for other things than talking or eating... like kissing...

He had been forcibly reminded of Beth when he had to literally carry Tess McGee out of a bar at Miramar when she'd picked on a Marine Corps Captain twice her size after he had made a crass, disparaging comment about Navy aviators in general and Luke in particular. Unlike Beth, Tess was a pilot, and had been Luke's long-time wingman, but like Beth she was petite, feisty and not inclined to take any crap from anyone, particularly when she was already upset over her friend's death . And when Harm had intervened she had grabbed a baseball bat trophy off the bar room wall, and looked as if she intended to use it.

Of course on that occasion, Harm had been busted in the chops by the aggrieved Marine, who when Harm had demanded what the hell was that for, he had replied that he didn't hit women.

"Neither do I!" Harm had snarled as he had returned the punch. What might have happened next would never be known, as it was then that Tess had grabbed the bat and Harm had literally picked her up, tucked her under his arm and carried her, kicking and cursing, out of the bar.

Now though, that was all behind him. He and Meg had proved that it was a computer software problem and not pilot error that had killed Luke Pendry and his RIO. Luke had been buried with full military honours and a grieving Annie had received the folded flag, while an equally grieving Tess had flown the Missing Man formation for her friend.

And now he was back at his half-finished apartment in DC, some three weeks behind schedule, thanks to all the investigations he'd been sent on, and looking forward to spending the weekend on making a start on getting the kitchen into shape. At least he now had electricity so he could use his power tools at last, and that would speed up his efforts. And, he grinned at thought, he could at last take a hot shower in the comfort of his own apartment instead of having to use the changing rooms at either JAG or the gym to which he belonged.

Moving into his bedroom, he stripped off his travel stained and crumpled uniform, and unpacked his toiletries but before he could take a step, his cell 'phone chirped. With an exasperated groan he contemplated letting it ring, but after a few seconds succumbed to its imperative summons, it might after all, be important, it might be the Admiral or his XO, Commander Lindsey with orders for him, although he hoped not!

It wasn't Admiral Brovo or Commander Lindsey, Harm was relieved to see, from the caller ID, but it was important. At least from his perspective. "Hi Beth," he smiled into the 'phone as he relaxed and lay back on the bed.

"Hey shyster, how're you doin'?"

"Hey, pretty good, considering I've just got back from the West Coast. How about you, been punching out any loud mouth jet-jockeys while I haven't been there to watch your six?"

Beth chuckled, "Hey, since when did you start talking aviator-speak?"

"Oh..." Harm floundered for a second or two before inspiration struck, "I guess I must have picked it up talking to all those cocky sonsabitches at Miramar," he laughed.

Despite his light tone, Beth picked up on an undercurrent in his voice, "Was it bad?" she asked gently.

"Well, it wasn't good." he conceded, "And I missed you."

"Nah," she joked, wanting to lift the conversation before it got too maudlin, "You just missed watching my six!"

"Well... there is that..." he conceded.

"H'mm... how would you like to watch it some more, and a little bit closer than in DC?"

"Sounds tempting... how, and why?"

"Well, as for the why... I've kinda missed you too, shyster, and as for the how, it's our winging ceremony and graduation exercise on Saturday week, how'd you like to come down and offer me some moral support, and help me rub Anne and Sarah's nose in it? They've been giving me grief about you ever since you left!"

"Oh, Beth... I'd love to..." but I can't afford a flight down there, and I doubt I could swing a MAC flight..."

"No need... Listen, my uncle Elwas has a G-One Hundred at Leesburg, and he's flying down on the Friday evening, to Ferguson airport and back up on Sunday afternoon, and he'll be happy to let you have a seat. I know it's a long flight for a short stay, but I'd really like you to be here. For me. Please?"

Harm considered for a moment, yes, he'd love to see Beth again, he had a feeling that there was a chance that they might have something special between them. True, he'd have to resolve his mixed feelings about Diane, was she just an Academy friend, or was she something more? And if so, why hadn't they done anything about that something more. He had been more physical with Beth in the short time he'd known her, than he had ever been with Diane in all the years that he'd known her, and he and Beth had only ever made out for a short while.

He nodded as Beth's nervous voice filled his ear, "Harm? Are you still there, Harm?"

"Hey, Beth, yeah I'm still here. OK, If I can get the weekend free, and you are certain your uncle is happy to fly me down there, then yes, I'd love to see you again, and yes, I'll be proud to see you graduate and get winged. Do I wear uniform or civvies?"

"Would you mind wearing your Dress Whites?"

Harm grimaced but said, "For you? I'd wear Full Dress Blues if I had to!"

Beth did laugh at that, "In this heat and humidity? I don't believe you! You complained enough last time you were down here, and then you were in Peanut Butters or Summer Whites! No, Dress Whites is all I ask."

"OK, Dress Whites it is!" Harm agreed.

"Good! I'll get onto Uncle Elwas and let him know that you're up for the trip... Do you... uh... mind if I give him your cell number? It would be easier for the two of you to liaise direct rather than through me. I'm going to be pretty busy for the next ten days..."

"OK, sure, yeah, go ahead... Just don't be too busy to either call me or answer my calls!"

"I'll make time on my calendar!" Beth promised with a laugh, and then sobered, "I really miss you, shyster."

"Yeah, I miss you too," Harm said.

"Good! So I'll see you Friday week, all being well. I'll pick you up at Ferguson..."

"Yeah... hey Beth? What about accommodation?"

"I'll fix that now. I'll book you a motel room as near the base as I can. They tend to get pretty full pretty quick on graduation weekends!"

 

If Harm had ever been in the dog-house at JAG, it was apparent that he had successfully rehabilitated himself. Admiral Brovo had agreed without demurral that he could have the following Friday afternoon off, provided that nothing blew up that would require Harm and Meg to leave town to investigate on a moment's notice. They weren't the only attorneys sent out on field investigations, but Brovo, and to a lesser extent, Lindsey were fast coming to perceive them as having a slight edge over the other partnerships.

As the uneventful, routine days rolled by Harm could feel his inner tension rising and he half-convinced himself that something would happen and that he would have to miss Beth's graduation from NFO School, and while he would be disappointed, he dreaded having to let Beth down even more.

So it was with relief on that fateful Friday that Harm had loaded his Corvette with his sea-bag containing casual civilian clothes and a suit bag in which was contained his Dress White Uniform. Securing it at lunch, he had bid a breezy goodbye to Meg, who had met Beth at Pensacola and had liked the shorter woman, but had had a field day teasing him about the way he had apparently fallen for an even tougher tomboy than herself, but at the last minute had relented and smilingly said, "But don't forget to say 'hi' to Beth for me, will ya?"

Beth's uncle Elwas proved to be a stocky man in his mid fifties who was happy to offer a seat to his niece's friend, and had eyed him measuringly, and finally nodded approval. Harm, in his Summer Whites was the almost the poster boy for, well, almost anything, and in Elwas' opinion was just the sort of young man he wished his daughters were dating, instead of the series of losers they seemed insistent on dragging home to meet their disapproving parents.

"So... Lieutenant Commander, is it?" He'd asked looking at Harm's shoulder-boards, "I'd like you to meet my wife, Miryem."

Harm turned to meet a slim elegant woman of medium height a couple of years younger than her husband and simply but elegantly dressed, and putting him strongly in mind of his own mother. Her dark brown hair was conservatively dressed and she smiled and confidently extended her hand.

"A privilege to meet you, ma'am!" Harm said and taking her offered hand was pleasantly surprised by the firmness of her grip.

"My pleasure it is to meet you, Commander," she said, with just the faintest trace of an accent.

"And this is my second boy, Iskender, he's coming along for the trip too." He glared at his son, "Free loading of course, well that was his idea, but no, it's not mine. He's going to be working his passage as flight engineer and flight attendant!" However his fierce words were given the lie by the pride that shone in his eyes as the young man, dressed in an Air Force flight suit stepped forward with an unabashed grin.

"Good afternoon, sir. Captain Alex Senturk, USAF."

"Harmon Rabb, I think we can skip the formalities as I'm your family's guest! Alex, you said?"

"Yeah, most of our generation have two names we use. The first one is the one mom and dad gave us, which is generally Turkish, and our second name, the one that we live with," he shot his broadly grinning parents a darkling look, "is either a translation of our Turkish name or a western name that sounds similar."

Harm grinned, "Damn, I wish I had that option, especially in high school! So... what your role?" he asked eyeing the embroidered badge on the younger man's flight suit, noting that the name on the badge was Alexander Senturk and also showed a pair of wings.

"I'm a wizzo – Weapons Systems Officer - on Lancers, offensive systems." Alex grinned, "It's been a race between myself and Beth to see who would get winged first. I beat her by three months!" His grin became as broad as his parents, "I don't think she'll ever forgive me!"

"Ouch!" Harm grinned.

"Hey If I can forgive him for not wanting to be a pilot, she can forgive him for that!" Elwas grunted as he led the way out the plane

"Hey Pops, why would I want to be just a driver?" Alex grinned and winked at Harm.

"Driver? Driver?!" Elwas spluttered, "That's it! Commander, would you like to sit up front this trip? He," with a jab of his thumb at his entirely unrepentant son, "can sit in back and keep his mother entertained!"

Harm automatically eased into the right hand seat in the cockpit, a circumstance that caused Elwas' eyebrows to rise slightly, but the older man said nothing as he began to run through his pre-take-off check list. Harm nearly gave himself away as his eyes became familiar with instrument panel and he found himself replying 'Check' to a couple of Elwas' questions before he realised what he was doing and fell into an embarrassed silence.

Elwas let his questions remain in abeyance until he had set the jet on its course, speed and altitude, and then engaging the auto-pilot he turned to Harm and tried to remember if the young man was wearing pilot's wings that would now be covered by his seat harness. He shook his head, no, he was certain he would have noticed gold wings on the white uniform, and even if he hadn't Beth would certainly have told him as well as telling him almost everything about her new friend. He nodded decisively, best to take the bull by the horns, if this Commander Rabb was hiding anything that might hurt his niece, he wanted to know about it before any damage was done.

"So, you are a pilot?" he asked

Harm swore silently to himself, "Um... yeah, I hold a GA licence, and I've got a Stearman based down at Charlottesville.

"So, so..." Elwas breathed, "But that's not all is it? You wouldn't have anything like this instrument panel in that old lady, but you were following my check-list, weren't you? No, don't bother to deny it!" he added as he saw the negative forming on Harm's face.

Harm sighed, "OK, but I don't need anyone else to know this. I used to fly F-14s for the Navy, but I developed night blindness and lost my flight status. So I re-trained as a JAG."

Elwas let an expression of sympathy flit across his face, as a pilot with more years of flying under his belt than he wanted to remember he felt deeply for the young man having his chosen career cut short. But for the moment he was more concerned about his niece. "Have you told Beth?" he asked.

"No, not yet... I want to be sure we have something before I unload all my dark secrets on her," Harm confessed.

"Well, don't leave it too long!"

"No, sir, I won't," Harm assured him.

Elwas nodded, "OK." He paused for a moment or two before asking, "Do you want to take her for a bit?"

Harm grinned like a school kid offered an unexpected treat, "May I?" he asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Sure," Elwas disengaged the auto-pilot, and put his hands on the yoke for form's sake, and Harm let his hands follow the slight movements for a few moments before Elwas said, "You have control!"

"I have control!" Harm confirmed

 

The flight from Leesburg to Ferguson took just over two hours, and while it wasn't the most exciting flying Harm had ever done, it felt good to have more power under his control than the old Stearman. He wasn't rated on the G One Hundred, so Elwas had had to take back the controls for the approach and landing at Ferguson, but he was satisfied with the way that Harm had maintained course, speed and altitude, flying manually all the way.

As for Harm, he was so buoyed up by the experience that he almost didn't feel the twin hammer blows of the heat and humidity of Florida, still sweltering in the grip of one of the hottest summers on record anywhere in the forty eight contiguous states, and even the discomfort he felt was alleviated by the sight of Beth's grinning face as once they had dealt with the formalities they had unloaded their luggage and walked through to the air-conditioned comfort of the main airport concourse.

Beth kept her grin in place as she hugged and kissed her uncle, aunt and cousin, although she did glower at his wings patch on his flight suit, but then her grin broadened into a huge smile of delight and welcome as she turned to Harm, who had hung back until the family greetings were completed. Beth almost threw herself into his arms, locking her hands together at the nape of his neck and dragging his face down to where she could plant a soft, loving kiss on his lips, teasing him, by swiping her tongue along the seal of his lips, before breaking the kiss and, ignoring the disapproving looks of uncle and aunt, and the knowing grin of her cousin, she smiled happily up into his face. "I am so glad you could make it," she breathed.

"For a welcome like that, I'd fly twice the distance!" he assured her, his hands resting at her waist.

Beth giggled happily and then turned back to her family members, "Oh... I've shocked you, haven't I?" she exclaimed.

"Don't mind the old-timers," Alex grinned, "They'll catch up with the twentieth century one day!"

Elwas glowered at his son, but Beth interrupted, "Iskender! Don't be so impertinent to your parents. Aunt Miryem, I'm sure I don't have to tell you to ignore his rudeness, do I?"

"No, of course not, child" Miryem smiled, her surprise at Beth's forward behaviour apparently forgiven if not forgotten.

"OK, then, come on, I've got an SUV outside, I didn't think that my VW would fit you all in! Which reminds me, I couldn't get everyone in the same motel either. So, Uncle Elwas, I managed to get you two rooms at the Super Eight, but Harm, I could only get you a room at the Holiday Inn Express, sorry. The Super Eight is nearer so I'll drop you off there first uncle Elwas, and I think Uncle Bunyamin and Aunt Catherine are booked there too"

Elwas and family delivered to the Super Eight, Beth drove Harm to the Holiday Inn Express, and waited until he checked in and then gave him his seating ticket for the morning. Then with a quick but passionate and thorough kiss, she said, "Harm I really do have to go, I've got so much to do before tomorrow, I wish I could stay longer... If I get finished in time this evening I'll give you call, but don't delay eating just in case I can make it, I probably won't. But I'll see you tomorrow as soon as we dismiss. There's the usual buffet lunch meet and greet, and if I know my family, there'll be plans for a big family dinner in the evening – which you will attend, Commander! But I'll definitely try to make some us time, when that's over!"

"You'd damn well better had!" Harm growled in her ear, "I didn't come all this way for a weekend just for you to be kept at arm's length!"

"Oh, I'm sure we'll get a little closer than that!" Beth twinkled as she slipped out of his arms, and with a wink and a wave she was gone.

 

Beth's prognosis was all too accurate. Harm's phone remained stubbornly silent all evening, so after arranging with the concierge for a rental car to be picked up in the morning, he spent the early part of the evening setting his Dress Whites in order for the morning, he strolled along the street for a couple of blocks looking for either a restaurant with a vegetarian option, or failing that a seafood restaurant. He was in luck, finding a Mexican restaurant that served him spicy vegetable filled burritos with a cheese sauce, which he washed down with a couple of icy cervezas before wandering back to the hotel, and although it was only twenty two hundred hours, the dual temptation of the cool, air conditioned room and the comfortable bed was too much to resist.

A quick shower later, Harm was in bed his hand reaching for the light switch, and then his head hit the pillow and he was gone.

He awoke the next morning to the chirp of his cell phone, a glance at the clock told him that he would have only slept for another half an hour at the most, and as he blinked the sleep from his eyes he read the caller ID and smiled. Just reading her name made him feel so much better... so much more... alive.

"Hey, sailor," he murmured into the mouthpiece.

Beth felt shivers run up and down her spine as his voice did something to her that ought have been illegal in all fifty states, "Hey shyster... just making sure you got a head start on the day!"

"I'm about as awake now as I'm ever gonna be!" he grinned.

"Good. Get a good breakfast inside you. You need to be at the drill field by ten hundred hours, that's only three and a half hours away, shyster, so get moving!"

"Yes, ma'am. I'll see you later!"

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Beth chuckled throatily.

"Oh definitely a promise!" Harm assured her.

"Good! 'Til later, then..."

"Yeah, later..."

 

Harm arrived on time, and his uniform and rank made it a simple task to find the right seating area, the flustered Seamen who had been given the task of ushering the guests to the appropriate seating allowing him more seconds of their time than they did the mass of civilians who were besieging them for information. He had only just take his seat when he was spotted by Elwas Senturk, who bustled across to him, shouting over his shoulder, "I've found them!" He was referring to the seats, but when he got to Harm, he grinned, "Thank God I saw you, Commander, none of those sailors seem to know where we are supposed to sit, but I know Beth booked a block of seats for us all!"

Harm smiled, "That's Harm to you, you're forgetting!" he gently reprimanded the older man

"Harm when you're in my right hand seat, maybe," Elwas allowed, "but here in that uniform you are definitely Commander," he seemed as if he'd finished but then he saw something over Harm's shoulder, "And you'd best be both just about now! Hi, John, Deniz," he called put and then in a rapid mutter to Harm, "Beth's parents, and two of her brothers, Keith and Errol; Errol's the taller of the two, and is very protective of all his sisters!"

Harm heard the implicit warning and inclined his head in thanks, and then turned to meet the newcomers.

John Hawkes was taller by far than his wife, but still shorter than Elwas; his face resembled his name, as if by some fluke of genetics the intervening generations had passed him by and given him the predatory aspect of his ancestors, who had chosen the Hawk as the most fitting name. He held his hand out and with a friendly smile said, "You must be this attorney Commander, my Elizabeth has been telling us so much about recently?"

"I am, sir. Or at least I think I must be. I doubt she knows any other JAG attorneys!" Harm smiled as he took John's hand.

"No probably not," John agreed, "But we'll just have to sort the wheat from the chaff and in time find out how much she has told us is true, and how much is exaggeration!"

"And for your sake, it had better all be true, young man!" The tiny woman standing next to John Hawkes interjected.

"Ma'am!" Harm said crisply, as he turned his gaze on the small woman, who although even shorter and slighter than Beth gave a good indication of what her daughter would look like some thirty or forty years down the road, and Harm , despite her bristling attitude and ferocious scowl rather liked what he saw. He could hardly not like her, Beth's eyes were all hers, and her Turkish ancestry matched well with the Native American heritage of her husband and had combined to perfection, in Harm's view, in Beth. It was pretty obvious too, at least to Harm, from just where Beth had gotten her feisty nature.

John gave his wife an amused look but said in an imperative tone, "Onu rahat bırak! Onu henüz uzakta korkutmak istemiyorum!" ["Leave him alone! We do not want to scare him away yet!"]

Harm blinked, "Kiowa?" he hazarded.

John laughed, "No... the only ones in the family that speaks Kiowa these days are my brother and his wife. No, that was her tongue! Impressive, ain't it?!" he demanded as he nodded in his wife's direction.

"Yes, sir!" Harm agreed as he felt the blood rising to his cheeks, acutely aware of the glares he was receiving from Beth's two brothers.

Deniz Hawkes turned her scowl on her husband for a moment and then smiled at Harm, a smile so like Beth's that his breath caught in his throat, "You must forgive my husband, he sometimes forgets his manners and speaks in a language that he should not in front of those who have no knowledge of it!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

He was saved from making any further faux pas by the boom of the tannoy announcing that the graduation exercises were about to commence and would spectators please take their seats.

The graduation ceremony took place according to a set tradition and Harm couldn't help feel a pang as graduand after graduand was called to front and centre to have their wings pinned on their tunics by the visiting Admiral. It brought back all too vivid memories of his own winging ceremony, but at last the inspection and the winging was completed, and the sweating graduands, in two companies, passed in review, the three female graduands easy to spot as their legs flashed brown beneath their white skirts, and marched off the field. The moment they were out of sight of the public a wild cheer was heard and Harm knew, although he could not see, that the air above them was thick with their covers thrown high in exuberance.

The last personnel to leave the field were the Navy Band South East District from Jacksonville, and as they played themselves of, the graduands returned and families and friends deserted the guest seating to find their hosts.

One again Harm's distinctive height was a help, this time in aiding Beth to find her family. She hugged her parents and brothers as well as Elwas, Miryem and Alex, responding to his rebuke for not saluting him, by pointing to the new Lieutenant's bars on her shoulder boards, all successful graduands from Aviator and NFO schools were promoted to Lieutenant. Beth then promptly spoiled the effect by reverting to her childhood ways and grinning impudently she poked her tongue out at her cousin.

"Now that is definitely conduct unbecoming!" Harm said unable to prevent a grin from spreading across his face.

Beth spun to face him, and coming to a rigid brace, she gave Harm a crisp salute, her hand quivering slightly from the tension as she stood tall.

Harm returned the salute just as crisply, "Stand easy Lieutenant, at ease!"

"Aye, aye, sir!" Beth responded, and then looking around at the puzzled expressions on her family faces, she turned to Harm, "I think we've satisfied the needs of military protocol for the day, don't you?"

He nodded, "I'd say so!"

"Good!" Beth chuckled, "I'm starving! I couldn't face breakfast, I was so nervous!"

Harm regarded her wryly as she led the party towards the large white marquee, "You know better than to go on a formation like that with an empty stomach!"

"Oh, I know, and I did got to the mess hall for breakfast, and I even got a tray, but I just couldn't eat it! I haven't been so nervous since graduating from the academy, and God, that seems like years ago!" she grinned unrepentantly as she led them into the shade of the huge tent.

Harm was never comfortable trying to balance drink, paper plate and fork while eating standing up, and making small-talk, so gave it up as a bad job after only a very few minutes, content to drink the tonic water with which he'd had his glass filled. He badly wanted to to talk with Beth, but he could hardly deprive her family of her presence, neither could he deprive her of theirs, so after about half an hour, he managed to murmur in her ear, "I've had about all of this I can stand," he plucked at his dress tunic so that there should be no misunderstanding, "I'm heading back to the hotel, give me a call when you've sorted out the arrangements for tonight, but try not to make it too formal, I've only got a shirt and slacks with me!"

Beth nodded in understanding, "Yeah, you get off now. I'm the same, I can't wait to get out of this damn outfit! I'll see you later, shyster!"

Harm made his smiling farewells to Beth's family, and collecting his cover from the table just inside the entrance, he stepped out into the blazing midday sun and gritting his teeth squared his shoulders for the five minute walk back to the rental car.

"Oh, Commander, wait up!" the voice came from behind him. Harm sighed, he had a pretty good idea of who had hailed him and what they wanted to say. Turning, he cursed his luck, he was right on at least the first count.

"Keith, Errol," he acknowledged them, "What can I do for you?"

"We want to talk to you about Beth..." Errol said truculently.

Harm held up his hand, "OK, here's the thing. I've a pretty fair idea of what you want to say, but it's too damned hot out here to stand around chewing the fat all day, so let me say this: One, I have no intention of hurting your sister. Two, I don't know if we have a future together. We may be at the beginning of something long term, I don't know. If you count today, we've had six dates, so it's a mite early for any sort of halfway accurate prognosis. I like Beth, I like her a lot, and she seems to like me, for some unknown reason, so if we're left alone to find our own way forwards, it might just turn out alright. But although I've only known her a short time, I've a feeling that trying to push Beth into something is a sure fire way of making her back off, and of making her opinion heard. Am I right?"

The two brothers exchanged looks, taken aback by Harm's seeming self assurance and by his summing up of Beth's likely reactions if she found out that her brothers were putting any sort of pressure on Harm, "Yeah, I guess..." Errol mumbled, while Keith just nodded.

"OK, guys, I'll see you later!" Harm said with a grin and a nod and now sweating profusely and not all comforted by the fact he had been right on both counts, he headed for the parking lot and the relief of the air conditioned car waiting for him

 

An hour later saw a freshly showered Harm dressed only in a towel wrapped around his waist laying flat on his back in the delicious cool of his hotel room, debating whether or not it was worth the effort of getting off the bed to raid the mini-bar for a cold drink, when his ruminations were disturbed by a rap at the door.

"Yes?" He called, "Who is it?"

"God-damn it shyster, open the God-damned door!"

"Beth?" he croaked almost levitating off the bed, "One minute," he called hopping on one foot as he pulled his boxers and pants on.

"Harm! Open the door!" Beth demanded.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on my way!" he yelped as he struggled into a T shirt, and with his hair tousled and slightly out of breath he fumbled the lock open and stepped back to let a perspiration soaked and out of temper Beth into the room. She dropped a sea bag on the floor, glared at him and said, "You took your own sweet time!"

"S...sorry... b... but I wasn't expecting you... and all I had on was a t... towel!"

His obvious disarray and his panicky, stammering explanation was enough to tickle Beth's ready sense of humour, and she burst out into a fit of the giggles, standing in the middle of the room with the door still open behind her and her fist shoved into her mouth as she tried to stifle her mirth, while Harm slumped into a sitting position on the bed and scowled at her.

"What's all this about Beth? I wasn't expecting to see you until this evening, and what's that for?" he demanded as he pointed to her sea bag.

Beth gave him the sort of look that mothers gave a six year old who was having a hissy fit and pointed to herself, "I'm still in this damned ice-cream seller's outfit! It's hotter than hell, and I'm itchy! My bag has a couple of changes of clothing and my overnight gear. Now I am going to take a shower and get changed into something more comfortable!"

"But you can't do that here!"

"Ain't got nowhere else to do it, we're booked out of the course accommodation, and anyway, why do you think this room is booked for two guests?"

"B... but...but there's only one bed!" Harm almost wailed.

"Yeah, how 'bout that," Beth said uncompromisingly. "Looks like you'll be sleeping in the chair!" and she grabbed her sea bag and marched into the bathroom, leaving Harm to close the room door and sit on the edge of the bed waiting for her to emerge so that he could try and talk some sense into her.

It was about twenty minutes later that Beth came put of the bathroom, dressed in a comfortably loose T-shirt and a pair of gym shorts, but with a light blue blouse and a cream skirt on a hangar, which she hooked over the closet door. She regarded them critically, "They could do with an iron, but it's too damned hot to bother with that crap, and they should look alright by this evening," was her spoken verdict.

She walked around to the other side of the bed and lay down, propped on an elbow, and said, "OK shyster, what's got your panties in a wad?"

"Well this..." Harm waved a vague arm around the room.

"Looks alright to me!" Beth grinned. "Look, Harm, I've asked you to fly a thousand miles – give or take – to come and see me, and now I've managed to ditch my family for this afternoon, so I thought we deserved a little 'us' time, OK?"

"Oh, it's more than OK!" Harm agreed as he swivelled around to lie on his side facing her, "much more than just OK!" He added as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Well, I did sort of have some of that in mind," Beth confessed when they broke the kiss, "But we need to talk too."

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Harm queried as a sense of foreboding crept over him.

"That depends on whether you think Oceana is too near or too far from DC," Beth said with a twinkle in her eye.

Harm's face lit up, "Oceana? Your doing your OpCon Training at Oceana?"

"Yep, fourteen weeks at Virginia Beach, and then the Atlantic fleet!" Beth smirked.

"Shit! Don't do that! For a terrible second, I thought you were going to say North Island for the Pacific Fleet!"

"Well there are some perks in finishing fourth out of eighty two!" Beth grinned.

"Fourth overall?" Harm grinned, delighted for her success.

"Yeah, but I reckon if I'd been a guy, I'd have finished top!" Beth growled.

Remembering the arguments he'd had in preferring charges against Harrington, arguments with flight instructors who still tried to pass off the unhappy Lieutenant's illegal actions as 'youthful high spirits', Harm had no difficulty in believing Beth's claims.

Harm still grinned, "When do you report?"

"A week Monday."

"Ah... I suppose you're going home for the week?" Harm asked.

"Well, no... I don't know Virginia. Maryland or DC, so I thought I'd spend the week exploring before I report. Anne and I are driving up tomorrow in two cars with a couple of guys off the course. Anne has family in Greenville, South Carolina, so we're breaking the journey over night there. The guys are booked into a motel, and then we'll continue up to the DC area on Monday. Anne's folks live in Hagerstown. That's in Maryland..."

"Yeah, I know it," Harm said, "I pass it on my way to grandmother's place when I visit there..."

Beth nodded, "OK, so all I need to do is find a base while I explore the area for a week..." she looked at Harm. Not quite disguising or concealing the hope in her eyes.

"Um... don't take this the wrong way, Beth... but you could come and stay with me for the week... hell, make my place your base for the whole time you're at Oceana, it's about a four hour drive, so it's too far for a daily commute, but its doable for a weekend. There's only two things, first, I can't guarantee I'll be there every weekend, I can get sent on an investigation more or less any time of day or night, and secondly, I'm still fixing it up, so it's a bit of a mess. Most of the work's done, but it's still a bit untidy and... mmph"

"Sorry 'bout that," Beth giggled as she released his face, but looking not the slightest bit sorry, "but you were babbling..."

"So... I'll take that as a 'yes' then, shall I?" Harm asked, his eyes gleaming with hope.

"Yeah, I s'pose so," Beth said softly, and then looked at Harm again, "You know," she said seriously, "that is just about the sappiest smile, I have ever seen!"

"Not sappiest, happiest! Harm corrected her, as he lay down on his back. His hand on her shoulder pulling Beth down with him until her head rested on his chest.

"And what's all this for?" she demanded.

"Just thought we might want to get a couple of hours shut-eye before we head out again this evening!" Harm assured her.

"Oh, that's OK then!" Beth smiled as she closed her eyes and let herself be lulled to sleep by the beating of his heart a couple of scant inches from her ear.

 

"Whew, you guys certainly know how to party!" Harm exclaimed as he toed off his shoes and plumped down on the bed

"You're telling me!" Beth emphasised as she lifted each foot in turn behind her to unhook the strap of her sandals. "I'm so used to no more than three beers a night and in bed by twenty-three hundred hours that I'm almost dead on my feet."

"M'mm, know the feeling!" Harm murmured as he flopped backwards across the bed, "You go ahead and use the bathroom first, I can hang on a few more minutes!"

"Are you sure?" Beth asked a twinkle in her eye again, "I don't want to have to come out of the shower and drag your carcase off half the bed before I can lie down!"

"I'll manage it," Harm grinned, "Just so long as you don't take all night in there!"

"I won't!" Beth promised, "Remember the old Academy rule? 'he who bathes first bathes fastest!"

Harm just grinned as Beth whisked into the bathroom. She was as good as her word, reappearing in a little over seven minutes, dressed as she had been that afternoon in an oversized T-shirt and a pair of gym shorts.

Ham rose to his feet and grabbed his sleepwear from his sea-bag and headed for the bathroom to take his turn under the shower.

When he returned to the room, Beth was in bed, but still awake, and she smiled as her came into the bedroom still vigorously towelling his hair.

Harm smiled at her and made his way across to the armchair, where he sat and covered his legs in a second, dry towel, "OK Beth, you can kill the light now!" he said cheerfully.

But Beth sat up in bed. "Harm, what are you doing?"

"Going to sleep." He said in a puzzled voice, "after all, there's only the one bed... and you said..."

"Harm, how many bedrooms have you got?" she interrupted him.

"Uh... one..."he answered uneasily.

"And how many beds has it got?"

"Just the one..."

"So... when I spend my weekends with you, we're going to be sharing that one bed, right?"

"Well... uh... I got a couch in the lounge and I thought..."

"Shyster, stop thinking and get your six over here and into bed!" Beth said, her ready laughter not far from exploding again.

Harm gave her a sheepish grin, as he crossed to the bed and slipped under the covers.

"Now you can put the light out!" Beth told him.

There was 'click' as the room was plunged into darkness, and Beth leaned over and gave Harm a lingering kiss, her tongue probing at his lips. She kissed him very thoroughly, a thoroughness which he appreciated and fully reciprocated. Beth then took one of his hands and slid it under her T-shirt, allowing him to run his fingers up the smooth skin of her back, until with a gasp he realised the soft cotton shirt was the only upper body garment she was wearing.

She arched into the pressure of his hand as she kissed him again, and she could feel the evidence of his arousal with her thigh, as she squirmed against him.

"Beth" he groaned, as he wrenched his mouth free of hers, "If we don't stop now, I might not be able to!"

"And who said I wanted you to stop?" she asked huskily.

 

Harm awoke to an unfamiliar weight on his shoulder, chest and left thigh and a warmth along his left side. Blinking the sleep from his eyes he squinted down and saw a mass of silky dark hair obstructing his further sight and realised that Beth had decided he was a more comfortable support for her head than the hotel pillow, and had also draped her left arm over his chest and her left leg over his thigh as he lay on his back.

Almost simultaneously Harm became aware of two other facts, firstly that his left arm, trapped under Beth's body had gone to sleep and that his bladder was frantically sending him an urgent cry for relief. An attempt to slip away without waking Beth failed as she clutched him the more tightly and mumbled in discontent. So, much as he would have preferred to leave her asleep, Harm was forced to shake her awake, murmuring, "Beth... I gotta go... c'mon sweetheart, let me up..."

Beth opened her eyes and smiled sleepily, "'Morning shyster," she murmured.

"Yeah, morning, Beth..." he dropped a quick kiss on her forehead and said, "Beth, I really gotta go... now!"

With a reluctant groan, Beth unwrapped herself from around him, and then as she became more fully awake watched as he launched a frantic search for his boxers. Unable to locate them and no longer capable of ignoring the demands of his bladder, Harm grabbed a pillow from the bed and covering himself with that, he fled to the bathroom, pursued by Beth's unrestrained laughter.

When he returned a minute or so later, he was more modestly covered by a towel, but he still threw a scowl in the direction of the still-grinning Beth. His glare was enough to set Beth giggling again and his testy "What's so damn' funny'?" did little to cause her to moderate her laughter.

"You," she gasped through her giggles, "Grabbing a pillow to hide your bits!"

"It's not funny at all!" he groused

"Harmon Rabb, you are such a prude!" she laughed.

"I am not!" he denied indignantly.

"Yeah, you are! Considering what we were to each other last night, the sight of a little extra flesh isn't going knock the world off its axis. Look! This is the way it should be done!" With that Beth threw the covers off and slid out of bed, and then magnificently unconcerned with her nudity she walked around the bed and into the bathroom.

When she returned, a few minutes later, she was still totally nude, but then she saw that Harm still looked uncomfortable, and she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, before sitting next to him on the bed.

"Better?" she asked impishly.

"Huh?"

"The towel? Satisfies your demand for modesty does it?"

"Oh... no... that's alright... But you said about what we were... what we did last night... Beth, we need to talk about that."

"Now you want to talk about it?" she asked incredulously.

Harm shook his head, "Not just yet, we should shower and breakfast first, I don't want you setting out on an all day drive without a good meal inside you. But then we can come back here and talk. Please, Beth?"

Beth looked at him, her bafflement plainly showing in her face, she felt that he was sending out mixed messages, that he was sorry for what had happened last night, but at the same time was concerned for her welfare.

"Is it that important to you?" she asked soberly, all amusement fled from her face.

"Yes, yes it is," he told her, equally sombrely.

 

Beth showered first while Harm packed his sea-bag , and they then reversed the process, so that they were both ready to leave as soon as they wanted. Breakfast was a quiet, almost silent, affair, Harm rehearsing what he needed to say and Beth dreading his words.

After breakfast, they returned to the room, and Harm slumped into the armchair while Beth sat on the edge of the bed, "Well, we've had breakfast, let's get it over with. This is where you tell me that last night was a mistake, and that we don't have a future and that you're dumping me, right?"

"God no! I could never think that last night was a mistake, it was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me! And I think we are just at the beginning of a wonderful thing between us, but it can't be built on lies, Beth, and I'm offering you the chance to dump me, after what I've got to tell you. And Beth, I'm so afraid that you're just going to get up, walk out of that door and out of my life!"

Beth blanched, "Are you about to tell me that you're a traitor, a foreign spy, a murderer or a rapist... or married?" she demanded.

"Hell no!" Harm spluttered.

Beth nodded, "In that case I reckon we can work through it! Now, why don't you come over here, sit down next to me, and tell me what's got you so all-fired tied up in knots?"

Harm didn't move from the armchair, "I've lied to you," he confessed with an expression of misery on his face.

"What lies have you told me, then?"Beth asked quietly.

"It's not that I've told you any lies... it's just that I haven't told you everything, and there's a couple of things I need to tell you, if we... and if you can bear to be anywhere near me..."

"It's not a matter of bearing to be near you, Harm. I want to be near you, so please come and sit with me, before you say another word."

"Are you sure?" Harm asked.

"Yes, I'm sure... oh... don't make me come and get you..." she managed a half smile.

Harm stood, took the three steps towards her and sat on the bed, not unwilling to have her close to him.

"Go on, then. Let me hear the worst."

"I'm not quite sure where to start..." Harm faltered.

"At the beginning's usually reckoned to be a good place," Beth said seriously.

"H'mm... I don't like to think of myself as a liar, Beth, so confessing to being one makes me take a long, hard look at myself, and at the moment I don't really like what I see. A coward and a liar, and although I haven't actively told you any falsehoods, a lie of omission is still as much a lie as one of commission."

"Well, why don't you tell me what's bothering you, and let me be the judge of how bad it all is?" Beth said softly.

"OK, I can do that, I think," Harm agreed and then he started to talk again, his voice now a flat monotone, "I wasn't always an attorney. When I graduated from the Academy, I applied for and was selected for flight training. I qualified as an F-14 pilot and was eventually posted to the Raptors on board the Seahawk. I had a pretty high opinion of myself, and that opinion grew even higher when I was selected for Top Gun school. I graduated from that and returned to my squadron. And that's when everything fell apart. We'd been on a normal training flight and were returning to the ship one evening. The weather was foul, visibility poor, and we had a pitching deck."

Harm paused to take a deep a breath, "To cut a long story short, I had a ramp strike. I was pretty badly banged up and my RIO was killed. The board of Inquiry that investigated the mishap ascertained that somehow, probably due to a recent infection, I had developed night blindness. I lost my flight status. And I haven't worn my wings since."

Beth nodded, "OK... but... you survived. If you'd been in the cockpit on impact you would have been killed, right?"

"Yeah, probably."

"And so you must have ejected?" Beth persisted.

"Yeah, we did, but too low and too late. I hit the deck pretty hard, that's how I got smashed up, but Mace, my RIO, he hit even harder... he was unlucky... he didn't make it."

"Oh, Harm... I don't know what to say... " Beth fell silent for a moment and then raised her head, "Or maybe I do... When you're coming into land on deck, it's protocol to hand control of the ejection system over to the RIO isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"So... you didn't eject, your RIO did. Did you give him the order? Or did the LSO order you to eject?"

"No... the LSO waved us off, and I was going to around, gain height, and make another try at landing."

"So... your RIO made an unauthorised ejection, too low for safety?"

"Yeah, I guess. But that doesn't change anything. It was my blindness that put us into that position, and Mace just did what he thought was best!"

'Yeah, or he just panicked!' Beth thought severely, but refrained from saying anything other than, "Is that it? Is that the big lie?"

"Yeah... well, part of it..."

Beth reached out and took one of Harm's hands in her much smaller one, "OK... here's the way I see it. It wasn't a lie, not even by omission. You just hadn't gotten round to telling me about it yet. Harm, we've only been on a handful of dates. Why would you open up with a story like that to an almost complete stranger? Hell, I wouldn't!"

"Thanks, Beth. But I'm not quite finished yet. Like I said, I was pretty banged up, I spent a month or so in hospital, and then went on convalescent leave to my Gram's place up in Pennsylvania. I was pretty low and went through some really dark times. I was helped through those times by a couple of friends from my academy days. Jack Keeter was one, he and I were the same year at Annapolis, and we both went to Flight School; he's still flying for the Navy. The other friend was Diane Schonke, she took emergency leave and came up to Gram's and really helped me pull through the worst of the bad days. She had been a year behind us at the academy, and when she graduated she went on to Crypto school and was assigned to Groton. We didn't see much of each other up until the time I crashed. She had her duties, I was at sea, but we kept in touch, and we got to be pretty close."

"As close as we were last night?" Beth asked, trying to keep her voice light.

"No, nothing like that. But yeah, we came close a couple of times, but there was always something that just didn't feel right. Even so, she's still very important to me."

Beth nodded; she wasn't so naïve as to think that Harm would never have had any sort of prior relationships, but if the only one he was worried about telling her about was the one between himself and this Diane, then any others, no matter how physically intimate they might have been, weren't worth her worrying about. Her train of thought led her inevitably to Meg. She had met Meg and had seen that there was a degree of attraction between Harm and her, but she also saw that neither of them were prepared to risk their friendship and their partnership, let alone their careers by embarking on an affair that that was almost certainly doomed to failure, and totally contrary to the UCMJ. No, Beth felt she had nothing to worry about regarding the tall, blonde Texas tomboy.

"Is that it? All your skeletons out of the closet?" Beth smiled.

"Yeah... that's them. Just about all the family bones left out to bleach in the sun. But... I do have two other things to tell you," Harm smiled.

"And they are?" Beth demanded, suspicious of the gleam that had suddenly appeared in his eye.

"Uh... my address in DC, and directions to help you find it!" Harm grinned as he handed her a folded sheet of paper.

"Clown!" Beth laughed, "OK, then let's see about getting this show on the road, then shall we?" she smiled. And as they stood, she linked her hands about Harm's neck, looked up into his face and added,"I'm glad you told me, Harm."

"Me too," he admitted and then bent his face to hers and captured her lips in a long, tender kiss.

"Wow!" Beth breathed when they broke the kiss. Then she frowned, "Hey, hold up there shyster... you did lie to me!"

"When?" Harm demanded indignantly.

"When you told me you'd picked up aviation speak at Miramar!"

"Oh... yeah... well... I can explain that... I think..."

"Yeah, go right ahead shyster, try and talk your way out that one!" Beth laughed.

 

Harm rushed home as soon as he could legitimately leave the JAG building on Monday afternoon, a knot of nervous anticipation building in his stomach. Beth was due to arrive sometime this evening, and despite the tidying up he had done around the apartment after his return from Pensacola yesterday, the place still wasn't just how he would want it.

The journey from Florida had been interesting, firstly there was the logistics of getting him to the RV where Beth's family had gathered to wave her and her friends off as they started their drive north, without giving away the fact that he and she had spent the last night together, in every sense of the word. But once that hurdle was overcome, the rest of the journey had been hassle free but interesting.

As soon as they had boarded the jet, Elwas had invited Harm to sit second pilot again, and then had not only talked him through the pre-flight checks, but had coached him through the take off and then let Harm fly the jet manually all the way back to Leesburg, only taking over the controls for the final approach and landing. Elwas had then astounded Harm by offering to let him sit second seat as often as could be managed until Harm had enough hours and experience to satisfy the FAA's requirements to be rated as a pilot on the type.

But now, Harm was getting slightly concerned. He had expected Beth to have arrived already and he was beginning to think that he was about to get a 'phone call telling him that she'd lost his address, or that somewhere along the way she had mistaken the route and was now hopelessly turned around in the middle of the madness that was DC's early evening traffic.

Just to keep busy, he bustled about, setting the table and preparing a bowl of salad, but even as he did so, he debated whether he should cook for them or order in, or maybe even take Beth out for dinner on her first night in DC, there was a Mexican restaurant no more than four blocks away that he knew would suit them both.

The question was still unresolved in his mind when the intercom buzzer sounded, alerting him that he had a visitor downstairs. He pressed the answer button, "Yes?"

"Hi Harm, it's me..." It was Beth's voice, but she sounded utterly deflated.

"I'll come down..." he started.

"No... don't bother, just buzz me in, please..."

"OK," he answered uncertainly, "If you're sure..." he pressed the button to unlock the building door and threw open the apartment door, so that he could hear the elevator as it came to a halt on his floor.

On hearing the familiar 'ping' he hurried out into the hall in time to see Beth tote a single sea-bag out of the elevator. Looking up she saw him waiting for her and managed a grin which only illustrated just how exhausted she was. He hurried forward and took the bag from her, wishing that he could pick her up and carry her too, but was forced to content himself with draping an arm around her shoulders and giving her a one-armed hug which he hoped combined welcome and support in one.

He conducted her into the apartment, saying "Sit down, before you fall down. I'll take this into the bedroom!"!

Beth smiled wearily and slumped onto the couch.

Harm returned to the lounge to find her sprawled inelegantly on the couch, her loafers kicked off her feet, and her head back against the squabs her eyes closed, and looking the picture of tiredness.

Harm couldn't help grinning in sympathy, he had been in Beth's condition far too many times than he could, or wanted to, remember. "Coffee?" he suggested quietly.

Beth half-opened her eyes and smiled gratefully, "M'mm" she murmured.

Harm disappeared into the recesses of the kitchen and busied himself with the coffee machine, but when he returned to the lounge a few minutes later, he found that Beth hadn't moved except that her mouth had dropped half-open and although she couldn't be said to be snoring, her soft, even breathing was definitely audible.

Harm's murmured "Beth?" brought no reply, so smiling he set the two mugs of coffee down on the end table and gently lifted her feet on to the couch, and placing a throw cushion on the arm of the couch, he just as gently lowered her until she was lying down. He twitched the Afghan throw off the back of the couch and settled it over her. Retreating to the armchair with his coffee and briefcase, he dug out a case file and a legal pad and set to work.

It was nearly two hours later that Beth began to stir, and Harm laid aside his work to watch her wake up. Her hair had come loose from the Alice Band she had worn to keep it out of her face while driving, and it was now marvellously tousled, her eyes were puffy, and as she sat up, plainly struggling to remember where she was she surreptitiously swiped the back of her hand across her mouth, as if to wipe away any evidence that she might have drooled while she slept, and Harm thought she was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

Beth blinked owlishly as she recovered her wits and remembered where she was, and located and looked across at Harm, a sheepish grin on her face, "sorry 'bout that, some guest huh?"she mumbled.

"Hey! Not to worry, I've been there!" Harm exclaimed, "and anyway, no eres una invitada. Mi casa es tú casa todo el tiempo que quieras!" ["You are not a guest! My house is your house for as long as you want it!"]

"For as long as I want, hey?" Beth smiled.

Harm blinked, "You speak Spanish?" he asked in surprise.

"Of course I do! Harm, I grew up in Florida, and there's still a strong Spanish cultural influence, especially on the Gulf coast, where my family lives! The accent there's a little different from your West Coast accent, but I understood you OK. And anyway, that's another thing you didn't tell me: You never told me that you could speak Spanish!"

"Of course I do, Beth!" I grew up in San Diego !" He grinned at misquoting her own phrase back at her, "And that's only a few miles from the border. We've got a huge immigrant population, and Spanish is almost a second official language! Although I am more than a little rusty!" he added.

Beth grinned and shook her head, "You got me there!" she admitted.

"Yeah..." Harm's shoulders drooped slightly, "But damn, you speak Turkish and Spanish! Isn't there anything you can't do?"

"Yeah, I can't cook!" she admitted.

"So," he smiled, "Hungry?"

"Not... really... but maybe a sandwich...?"

"Well... I've got some smoked eel," he suggested and his grin broadened as he watched Beth shudder at the thought, "Or, I could do some scrambled eggs on toast for you?"

Beth considered for a moment, and then nodded, "Yeah, I could manage that, thanks."

"OK, if you want to freshen up, the bathroom's through there," he indicated a door at the far end of the lounge, "and on the right."

Beth nodded again, "Yeah I will!"

By the time a newly washed and combed Beth sat at the table Harm had finished her eggs, and pouring her a glass of OJ took a chair at the table opposite her and watched while she ate.

Finally Beth chased the last few fragments of egg around her plate trapping them between her fork and the last corner of her toast. She chewed happily, swallowed and washed the snack down with the last of the OJ.

"Better?" Harm inquired

"Yes, much, thanks... Harm?"

"Yeah?"

"Howe about I give you refresher lessons in Spanish, and you teach me how to cook?" she asked hopefully.

"H'mm... maybe... I'll think about. Oh, and while I'm thinking of things, here..." he rummaged in his pockets and handed her a pair of keys.

"What's this for?" she asked crinkling her nose.

"Keys to the building and to the apartment. I'm not going to be here during the day Monday through Friday, and I want you to come and go as you please. And there's always a chance that I may be called away at very short notice to handle an investigation. And you'll need access."

"You're trusting me with your apartment?" Beth asked.

"Sure... after all I'm trusting you with my heart," Harm smiled.

 

Harm couldn't remember a period in his life when he'd been quite so happy, and his new cheerful demeanour was noted at work, Commander Lindsey even going so far as to ask Meg if she knew what was responsible for the new happy Harm. Meg gazed back at him with wide open cornflower blue eyes and swore mendaciously that she hadn't got a clue!

He rapidly became accustomed to sharing his bed with Beth and their night time activities were intensely satisfying as they explored each other's likes and dislikes. The only niggle was affecting Beth and that was, despite his unexpectedly and welcome adventurous nature in bed, Harms's continued prudery as she deemed it.

Even the grunt work that he normally detested didn't seem so burdensome and he repeatedly emptied his in-tray with a speed that surprised and impressed both Commander Lindsey and Admiral Brovo, but it was always with the aim of finishing work as soon as possible after 'secure' and rushing home to Beth.

Even the gods of war and justice seemed to smile on him and for the entire week there was no need for him to leave town to investigate miscreant sailors or marines. So it was with relief that on Friday afternoon he was able to make dinner reservations at a small, newly opened, but fast becoming popular restaurant and jazz club

"It's Louisiana, not Florida, he teased Beth, and I've chosen tonight because it's a smooth jazz night... and," he added slyly, "they've got a dance floor." and was rewarded by Beth's smile. She, like he, had learned to dance at the Academy, where a certain degree of proficiency was required of midshipmen, but unlike Harm she really enjoyed dancing while he just about tolerated it, or so he told her.

He had made their table reservations for twenty hundred hours, leaving both Harm and Beth plenty of time to get home from duty and shopping respectively, and shower and change.

Harm won the toss for first use of the shower, and foiling (yet again) Beth's attempt to strip him of the towel wrapped around his waist, dressed while she took her turn in the bathroom.

Harm chose a pair of light grey slacks and a blue, cotton, button down shirt that emphasised that colour in his changeable eyes, topped off with a lightweight unbleached linen jacket, which he casually draped over the back of an armchair while he waited for Beth to dress.. His wait wasn't in vain; she wore her hair loose, just longer than shoulder length and had chosen to wear a cream silk collared blouse, worn open at the throat to show a slim gold chain with a small medallion hanging from it, and a knee length burgundy skirt with a black leather belt, and low heeled burgundy pumps suitable for either walking or dancing. Harm came to his feet as she entered the lounger and just said, "Wow!"

Beth blushed slightly, and smiled with pleasure at his reaction, "You like?" she asked.

"Yeah, I like if water's damp, or the sun is warm." he smiled.

It took Beth a couple of seconds to work out his meaning and then her smile broadened into a grin of delight, "Well..." she said approvingly, "you don't look too shabby yourself!"

"I guess we both clean up pretty well, then!" he laughingly replied

The Blues Alley, a couple of blocks south and west off M Street was a place that normally specialised in New Orleans Jazz, but switched styles to a smoother jazz at the weekends. The menu was tied in to the restaurant's overall ambiance, relying heavily on both New Orleans and Cajun specialties.

The club so close and the evening so warm it was understood, without either mentioning it, that they would walk to and from the club, so at about nineteen forty hours they closed the apartment door behind them and strolled down to M Street.

The dinner had been superb, Beth chose a Caesar Salad, followed by Crawfish enchiladas, "I have just got to see how they combine Cajun and Mexican foods in one dish!" she enthused. Harm shuddered in pretended horror at her choice and selected a Waldorf Salad followed by a Cajun seasoned vegetable supreme both of them choosing beer rather than wine to accompany such strongly flavoured food.

Neither was quite sure at what time they finished eating and moved to the dance floor where the resident jazz combo played a selection of music from such masters of smooth jazz as Kenny G, Grover Washington Jr, and Patti Le Belle and groups such as 3rd Force and The Rippingtons but they were still on the floor when the combo leader announced the last set for the night,

They had started dancing quite formally, Harm with one hand on Beth's waist and the other holding her hand while her free hand rested lightly on his shoulder, but as the evening progressed, so they moved closer, their arms round each other and Beth's head resting on Harm's chest, while his chin just brushed the top of her head, neither of them moving much, just swaying to the music. As the last plangent notes of the final selection died away, Beth looked up into Harm's eyes, "I thought you said you couldn't dance!" she accused him, "You did OK tonight, and you didn't even step on my toes once!"

"Nuh-huh," Harm shook his head, "I never said I couldn't dance, I just said that I wasn't too enamoured of it, but that was before tonight!" He shrugged, "I guess I just never had the right partner before!"

"Flatterer!" Beth scolded him gently, "But if you didn't like dancing, why did you book this place, why not just a dinner at some place where there isn't a dance floor?"

Harm looked down at her, "Because you said you liked to dance," he said simply.

"Oh..." Beth was taken unawares and blinked furiously a couple of times to dispel the moisture that had suddenly gathered in her eyes.

"Take me home, Harm," she said softly.

They were in no hurry to reach Harm's apartment however, and strolled along M Street, mingling with other late night pedestrians and soaking up the atmosphere that was peculiar to this part of Georgetown, until they passed the open door of one club where the music of Duke Ellington spilled out into the street. Harm grinned, and using the arm that was around Beth's waist, her suddenly spun her along the pavement, extending his hand to catch her and drawing her back into his arms as he led her into a dozen movements of a quick-step that carried them twenty yards down the sidewalk, as Beth laughingly protested and to the smiles and cheers of other pedestrians who swiftly made a hole for them.

Harm drew them to a stop and smiled down at Beth who lay back, panting in his arms, "You nutjob!" she complained, "Now take me home – straight home, and no more street performances!" she commanded through her giggles.

 

It had been a warm, humid night and after making love Beth and Harm had kicked off the lightweight comforter and dropped into a light sleep. Now the coming daylight had woken Beth and she stretched luxuriously, and then shivered in the dawn chill. She sat up and reached for the comforter at the foot of the bed to draw it up over herself and Harm. Then she stopped in mid-movement. They had quickly become accustomed to not only sharing the bed, but for them to wake with Harm on his back and Beth curled up against his left side with her head on his shoulder and her arm thrown across his chest. But last night they had been too hot and sweaty and their bodies must have recognised this. She had woken up curled in a foetal position, her back to Harm while he had rolled over on to his stomach, and what had arrested Beth's movement was a network of white lines on his right hip and thigh and extending across the upper part of his buttocks to the small of his back. Blinking, she realised that what she was seeing was a mass of scar tissue. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes filled with tears as she stared, trying to imagine the pain those wound scars reflected. Sure, Harm had told her he'd been banged up some in the ramp strike, and that he's had months of treatment, but she had never imagined damage like this. She shook her head, it was a miracle that he'd ever walked again, let alone passed the medical review board to stay in the Navy.

Leaning closer, the chill temporarily forgotten, she traced the line of one particularly vicious scar with a gentle fingertip, and followed that line with a succession of butterfly light kisses, until it disappeared, writhing under the front of his thigh.

Gentle as her touch and kisses were, they woke Harm, who after a second's bemusement realised what Beth was doing, and with a strangled, "Don't!", twisted around onto his back and grabbed a pillow to hide the evidence of his injuries.

It was the sight of the pillow that triggered a memory for Beth, of a frantic Harm racing for the bathroom with a pillow clutched in a similar manner. "Oh Harm," she breathed, "It's not prudery, is it? You don't want me seeing your scars isn't it! But why?"

Harm couldn't look her in the face, instead he stared at the window. "Because they're disgusting, and I don't want you to... to... hate them, to hate me because of them!" he said in a voice full of misery and despair.

"Oh Harm!" Beth said, smiling through her tears, "How could I hate them! They're part of you, so I love them!"

"You don't hate them?" Harm asked in disbelief.

"Of course not, you dumb-ass shyster!" Beth said emphatically.

The End


End file.
